Deflated helium balloons sometimes end up in the prairie. Preserve staff have a chart on the office wall keeping track of how many balloons each person retrieves. It's a competition of sorts—to rid the Preserve of these potential hazards. But on Sunday, April 17th, Park Services Specialist, Chris Clauson, and three Friends of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve board members and their spouses brought in an entry like no other: A weather balloon carrying a GPS tracker and GoPro camera launched by eighth-grade student, Chase Wiley, and his two friends, Parker and Austin.

The science balloon project made a very long journey from mid-Pinellas County to its Kissimmee Prairie landing place — as Chase put it, “really into the boonies!” Chase and company followed their balloon to KPP and made a long, hard hike out into the prairie, but could not reach their package.

A week later, ranger Chris Clauson and KPP volunteers came to the rescue. The Preserve swamp buggy took them most of the way, but the remaining distance off the trail had to be slogged on foot through tall grasses and wet marsh. Friends’ board president, Tim Kozusko, a biologist at Kennedy Space Center, was first to reach the payload—in an area with over a foot of water, just a few paces from the GPS coordinates Chase had provided.

Chase’s mom, Lisa, answered a call from the Preserve. Cheers could be heard in the background as she relayed the message that the balloon and contents had been recovered. The package was delivered the next day by Friend's board V.P., Christina Evans, and husband, Stan Czaplicki. As luck would have it, they live only three miles from Chase’s home!

Thirteen year-old Chase, who has business cards and a website, goes by the title “Science Dude” or “sciencechase” on his YouTube and Instagram accounts. Watch the video to learn more about Chase's balloon launch experiment and see footage from the air, and then check out some of his other entertaining videos, such as “How Important Is Sleep?”, “The Science of Cussing”, and “The Meaning of Life!”

The Kissimmee Prairie Friends are happy to have played a part in Chase’s latest experiment and look forward to his next project. We hope that he will come back to visit Kissimmee Prairie Preserve again!

Thank you to Chase Wiley's family for use of their photos and video to illustrate this story.

PLEASE NOTE:While we applaud Chase and his friends for their interesting science experiment using a GPS tracker on a weather balloon, most released helium balloons are not trackable — they are the balloons used to celebrate special occasions. Most people are unaware of these balloons' destructive effects on the environment. They kill countless animals, become ugly litter, cause power outages, waste helium, and pollute remote, pristine places like the oceans — and Kissimmee Prairie Preserve.Visit BalloonsBlow.orgDON'T LET BALLOONS GO!

Bobcats & Jaeger & Deer, Oh My!​(Wait—did you say "Jaeger"?)

Photo by Stephen Worthington: "It was wet and wonderful!"

The 2nd Annual Fall Wildflower Walk with Roger Hammer and Craig Huegel was held October 3rd in perfect weather conditions, and by all accounts was a big success. Naturally the flowers and blooming grasses were a hit, but event participants experienced so much more as they walked— sometimes waded—in the Florida prairie.Enjoy some of the photos, experiences and comments shared with us - beyond the flowers:(Most images enlarge by clicking on them, and look for links!)

Ann Wiley, Ft. Lauderdale:“Walking in the prairie was awesome, such a brilliant ecosystem.The buggy ride was fascinating. I learned so much about your burn practices which I am very interested in. It was really a great day. It refreshes the soul.”

Photo by Stephen Worthington, Crayfish

Stephen Worthington, Okeechobee:“This was the first creature to meet me on the day of the wildflower walk. Well, it was more like a challenge than a greeting.”

Photo by Stephen Worthington

Jan Allyn, Largo:“It was wonderful! Love the Prairie! The buggy ride was great, the grasses and wildflowers beautiful. Dr. Paul Gray's intro was very informative. Craig and Roger were great guides, very personable. Providing everybody a checklist of wildflower species was a great idea. I cannot wait for the spring walk! Wildlife we saw: black snake, kestrel, loggerhead shrike, white-tailed deer, turkeys, caracaras, lynx spider, red-shouldered hawk, white ibis, common egret.”

Barbara and Jim Dina, Dunedin: The lucky Dinas saw a bobcat on the road as they drove into Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, and Barb captured photos of it with her cell phone! They also saw an otter. Barb shared this fascinating image of a nearly complete snake skeleton found during their stay in the Preserve for the Wildflower Walks.

Paul Strauss, Stuart:“As an IFAS Master Naturalist and long-time Florida Park Service volunteer, there are only a few can't-miss events for me during the year. Roger & Craig's Wildflower Walks at KPPSP is one. These two are not stiff ivy-league professors, but passionate & colorful advocates for the amazing array of wildflowers & natural communities found in Florida. Whether a seasoned naturalist or first-time visitor, everyone walks away well-informed and entertained. Don't miss the next opportunity to spend a morning or afternoon walking among vibrant red pine lilies, magenta blazing stars, purple drum-heads and delicate marsh pinks. You'll come back—and back again.”

Photo of Roger Hammer at Kissimmee Prairie by Paul Strauss

Roger Hammer, Walk Co-leader:"That was a swell time at the prairie. I got this picture (below) with my 105mm macro lens!"

What was that about a Jaeger? Isn't that a pelagic bird?Why, yes it is. Strong winds and stormy weather the night before the Wildflower Walks blew a Parasitic Jaegeroff course and right into the prairie. The exhausted bird was found along the road by Florida Audubon scientist and Friends' board member, Dr. Paul Gray, as he drove in that morning. The 9:30 a.m. Wildflower Walk participants were able to get a peek at this rare bird during Paul's introduction, before Preserve staff transported it to Arnold's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Okeechobee (where it was able to recover and fly away). You never know what you might see at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve!

Photo by Paul Gray

Photo by Stephen Worthington

Stay tuned for the date of our Spring Wildflower Walk event!And if you aren't a member yet, please join us!

Beautiful Butterworts, by Paul Miller

What do you do if you’re a plant growing in soil that doesn’t provide enough nourishment? Well, how about eating insects? Kissimmee Prairie Preserve has several species of plants that actually eat insects: sundews, bladderworts, butterworts, and one species of pitcher plant. Here we discuss the winter/spring blooming butterworts.

Butterworts, or ‘Pings’ (an abbreviation of the scientific genus Pinguicula), are members of an insectivorous plant family called the Lentibulariaceae which includes the bladderworts. It is the most species rich family of carnivorous plants on Earth. By definition, carnivorous plants make their living digesting the protein provided by insects that they capture.

Click to enlarge. Basal rosette of a Blueflower Butterwort.

The butterworts that occur in the Preserve are perennial and spend much of their life cycle as a ‘basal rosette’— a cluster of leaves that remain flat on the ground. The upper surface of the leaves have minute hairs topped with glands (best seen with a dissecting microscope) that exude a sticky substance. Small insects such as gnats become stuck to the surface of the leaves and are chemically digested providing nutrients to the plant. The basal rosettes of butterworts remain relatively inconspicuous in the prairie. They spend most of their life cycle eating bugs, quietly hidden from view by grasses and other plants that reach to the sky until it is time to flower.

The earliest species of butterwort to flower in the Preserve is the delicate Small Butterwort (Pinguiculapumila). As you might guess from its common name, of the three species of pings in the Preserve, this is the smallest. Interestingly, Small Butterwort blooms in the fall-winter in Florida but in April-May in the rest of the southeast. In November 2013 the species was observed flowering in an area where the ground orchid Fragrant Ladiestresses (Spiranthes odorata) was blooming. (More on ladies tresses in a future blog post!) As January rolls into February, and on into March, a real treat occurs. Two species of butterwort, both listed as threatened in the state of Florida, begin to reveal themselves with very beautiful and showy flowers: Yellow-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula lutea) and Blueflower Butterwort (P. caerulea). In one location, ‘Butterwort Marsh’, they even occur together, making a subtle, yet stunning display.

The Yellow-flowered Butterwort is much more common in the Preserve and folks on a Prairie Buggy tour should keep their eyes on the sides of the trail during these months to catch a glimpse. The Blueflower Butterwort is less common and likely has a more specific habitat requirement. Who knows why the Blueflower is so picky? Perhaps a curious mind will be inspired to investigate the habitat and figure that out.

Guest author, Paul Miller started working at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve in 2002 on the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. In 2004 he became the Preserve's full time biologist. Since then, he has been casually studying the diversity of prairie plants when he isn’t sitting at his desk frantically trying to stay ahead of paperwork.

Turkey Talk

Turkey displaying in recently burned prairie.

With the holidays approaching, it is a good time to talk about turkeys.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve's turkeys are one of five subspecies found in the United States. Smaller and darker than its much more numerous Eastern cousins, Florida's Osceola Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) were named for the famous Seminole Indian chief, and are only found in the Florida peninsula.

Turkeys are usually seen on the ground walking, but they can run up to 25 mph, roost in trees at night, and are said to be able to fly up to 55 mph! Kissimmee Prairie provides very valuable habitat for turkeys, particularly during the time they are rearing their young. This description from a Florida Fish and Wildlife pdf clearly sounds like the prairie:

"Brood rearing and summer foraging habitat are similar and are generally the habitat components that are most limiting, especially in Florida. Hens seek grassy, open areas with abundant insects and nearby escape cover for raising their broods. Good brood habitat generally consists of open areas with a grassy or herbaceous groundcover 1 to 3 feet in height within relative close proximity to escape cover. The vegetation should allow the poults to move unimpeded, but allow the hen to see over the vegetation to detect approaching danger."

Rare Wild Turkeytail plants

Baby turkeys (poults) follow their mom. They can fly at just two weeks.

I see you

While the Preserve's turkeys are (thankfully) protected and not going to end up as Thanksgiving dinner, don't think they are living the carefree life! Wild turkeys are a major prey species -- which means their role in the ecosystem is to provide food for a whole lot of other animals. Raccoons, bobcats, striped and spotted skunks, coyotes, owls, hawks, crows, and snakes are just some of the animals that prey on turkeys, their eggs and their young. It should be no surprise that they have developed great eyesight and have a reputation for being extremely wary. They have also evolved to produce many young and will re-nest if their eggs are destroyed.

When you visit the Preserve, you have a very good chance to see these iconic, interesting birds most any time of the year. Good places to look are near the office, and in both the campground areas. From spring into summer their gobbles are often heard -- especially in the early morning as they come out from the night's roost. If you gobble at the toms, they will stick their necks out and gobble right back at you, providing plenty of free entertainment. As the Preserve biologist Paul Miller says, "It never gets old".

Happy Thanksgiving from Kissimmee Prairie Preserve!

Turkey heads change color with emotion/excitement, and can be red, white, or blue.

Fire On The Prairie, by Jen Benson-HughesAn insider view of fire and friendship at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve

During the warm months, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve focuses on resource management. The most influential component in managing Florida’s ecosystems is fire. Historically, lightning-created fires sustained ecosystems. The plants and animals in the prairie adapted with frequent fire. Fire is essential to this landscape, and it offers fire personnel a means to be ecologically productive, get dirty, and maintain friendships.

Most lightning strike wildfires occur during the transition season—the time of year after the winter freeze and before the rainy season when dead vegetation is cured and the soil is dry. Most thunderstorms in Florida are generated by convection, the result of instability in the atmosphere. Our area of Florida receives 8-16 flashes per kilometer per year! Lightning strike wildfires may be extinguished by the next thunderstorm cell, but in the past when left to their own devices, wildfires could continue to burn for days or weeks (maybe months). This rarely happens today due to roads, canals, and human activity. Controlled burning (prescribed fire) is a safer, cheaper way to restore and maintain an ecosystem than allowing wildfires. Controlled burns are simply fires that are thoughtfully planned with proper preparation on the ground, and skillfully executed by trained professionals to produce the desired effects for the land. Wildfire has the potential to do extreme damage if the wrong conditions exist, such as severe drought and high winds.

The Florida Park Service tries to mimic the timing of nature with controlled burns because the prairie responds differently to fire depending on time of year. Winter fires favor trees and shrubs because many of the grasses are dormant. Trees that encroach into the prairie push out plant species that require open spaces. But the response from plants and animals after a transition/growing season fire is remarkable: prairie grasses and forbs, bountiful butterflies, Burrowing Owls, Northern Bobwhites, and many other species that rely on the open ground of the prairie flourish and reproduce. This includes the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow(pictured), which uses patches of open ground as ‘run-ways’ to search for food and evade predators.

Fire is inherently dangerous. As Florida park rangers and land managers, it is our duty to ensure that controlled burns and wildfires are managed in a safe and responsible manner. Living and working in the most frequently burned ecosystem in Florida, we have to be well-versed in the techniques, preparations, safety protocols, laws, and equipment needed to conduct a controlled burn or contain a wildfire. All of this knowledge is not gained overnight. It requires years of training, on-the-job experience, support from the public, and cooperation among many agencies. The camaraderie among the fire crews is encouraging and supportive. Burn one time with a fire fighter and you’re friends for life! Birthday parties are more fun with fire fighters! In the prairie, fire equals life! It is a beautiful relationship that inspires many of us to capture the prairie’s beauty with our cameras, and we keep it in our hearts and minds. One of the greatest joys in this profession is watching the prairie and all its inhabitants thrive after a growing season fire. Oh, and autumn—you have to see the prairie wildflowers in September/October—gorgeous!

Hiking the Prairie Loop Trail, #1 of a seriesArticle and photos by Donna Bollenbach

If you really want to experience Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, take a hike.

Eastern Meadowlark serenading

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie, a habitat of sweeping grasses and saw palmetto where plants and animals are as diverse as they are plentiful. While hiking in the preserve you will experience a very unique and pristine habitat that is unlike any other in the state or country.

There are over 100 miles of multi-use trails in the park that can be travelled by foot, bike or horseback. The most popular hike is the Prairie Loop Trail. Approximately 4.6 miles, it traverses a variety of natural habitats including the dry prairie, moist wetlands, and shady hardwood hammocks. The trailhead is adjacent to the last campsite in the equestrian campground. Here you find the first of many metal poles with blue blazes that mark the trail. As you head out on the first leg, watch for wild turkeys, which are often seen emerging from the brush.

In fall, the prairie is washed in yellows.

An 8-point buck spotted along the trail.

About 1/8 mile into the trail you will come to a small stream. After crossing, take a moment to scan the prairie on the left. Depending on time of year, the landscape may be painted with bushy yellow golden rod, tall stalks of purple blazing star, nodding pink meadow beauties or the silvery leaves and creamy white flowers of the pawpaw plant. As you walk along the stream, look for deer. While deer may be seen throughout the park, I have seen an eight-point buck and several herds of does from this spot. In spring, you may even be rewarded with the sight of a doe with a spotted fawn.

As you head west, listen for birds in the oaks. Among the birds I have seen are White-eyed Vireos, Palm Warblers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a pair of Great-crested Flycatchers with an active nest in the cavity of a snag. After awhile, the trail will divert slightly southwest. As you approach the first hammock you may startle a grazing deer grazing under the live oaks. This is a good place to stop and enjoy the shade before continuing your hike in open prairie where you will hike about 3/4 of a mile to the next hammock. Look to the skies over the prairie for Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrels, Crested Caracaras, Swallow-tailed Kites, and Vultures. These predatory birds may be spotted soaring over the landscape or perched atop snags. A rare White-tailed Kite may also be spotted from the trail.

Turn your eyes closer to the ground to see the multitude of wildflowers in the prairie. From delicate Lady's tresses orchids, to blue-eyed and yellow-eyed grasses, to a colorful pallet of sunflowers and asters, many flowers can be seen from the trail. You may also see many butterflies, including a variety of swallowtails, skippers and hairstreaks. The next hammock is filled primarily with tall palms. The ground, which receives little light, is mostly bare except for the litter of dead palm fronds. Look straight up into the palms to admire their height and stature.

At the trail's mid-point is a primitive campground with a few picnic tables and a covered pavilion. This is a great place to stop and eat a snack or lunch. From there, you will head north. For the next 3/4 of a mile the prairie will be on your right and a strand of trees along a natural slough will be on your left. This is another place to look for deer.

When you reach Military Trail you are 2/3s through your hike. You will head east, back toward the campground. This part is over shell road, and can be very hot, so make sure you ration water to have enough. Military Trail is a good place to spot snakes sunning in the road. Most snakes in Florida are harmless, but the prairie is also home to Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, so be cautious. The real beauty of this part of the trail is the landscape: Note the contrasting colors and textures of the landscape: The points of the fan-shaped Palmetto leaves, the sweep of the wiregrasses, the silvery soft leaves of the pawpaw and the shiny green dwarf oaks. As the park literature suggests: Enjoy the prairie by looking into it, not at it.

Your hike ends at the Equestrian Campground, but your experience will last forever.

NOTE: The best time to hike in Florida is the fall, winter and spring, usually October through April. But even in the winter temperatures on the open Prairie can be very hot, so always carry plenty of water, sunscreen and bug spray. Start your hike in the early morning, just as the sun starts to rise if possible. Not only are the temperatures cooler, but you are more likely to see wildlife. The Prairie Loop Trail is well marked, but in case of emergencies you should carry a cell phone and a GPS. Cell service in the prairie is spotty, but possible on some sections of the trail. Donna Bollenbach, a nature photographer for over 10 years, spends her leisure time hiking, camping and photographing nature in parks and preserves throughout Florida. She first discovered Kissimmee Prairie Preserve in 2005 and has since hiked over 50 miles in the park. In addition to being a published photographer, Donna is the author of an e-book,The Art of Nature Photography, available on Amazon.

NOTE: A longer, complete version of this article, with more images, will be published in an upcoming Kissimmee Prairie Star newsletter.

When you come out to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve to observe nature you are not limited to one planet. The dark night sky is one of our natural resources and allows observers to see the nature of the whole universe. Most constellations can be remembered when all the dim stars make a picture of ancient or mythological characters. These stories add fascination to the beauty of a dark sky view. Ancient observers had no city lights to interfere. As their culture developed they created legends—the Big Dipper is an ox cart in China; a funeral procession to plains Indians; a useful kitchen tool to Europeans. Modern astronomy is international. Latin names and mapped areas now define the 88 constellations such as URSA MAJOR which includes the big dipper and contributes to the picture of the great bear when all the dim stars near it are visible.

The California Nebula (NGC 1499) pictured above is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It is so named because it appears to resemble the outline of the US State of California on long exposure photographs. It is almost 2.5° long on the sky and, because of its very low surface brightness, it is extremely difficult to observe visually. It can be observed with a H-Beta filter (isolates the H-Beta line at 486 nm) in a rich-field telescope under dark skies. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth. —Charles Lillo, www.theastrogeeks.com

Amateur astronomers come to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve from more than a hundred miles away to do serious imaging with the latest astrophoto equipment— which often costs more than their car. Computer controlled electronic cameras and image processing allow them to find and take observatory quality pictures. Inspired by the Hubble, and in a quest and challenge to collect similar images for self education, they camp for several nights prepared for a clear sky. The new moon week is chosen each month to avoid the moon's natural light pollution. Dark sky is needed to find most unique objects between the dim stars and allow maximum exposure success. the Preserve has "the Astronomy Pad"—a separated site designed for astronomers, to minimize light from campers and campfires.

When you get the opportunity to camp overnight at KPPSP, bring a star map. You can print one from your local astronomy club website, at the public library, or from an astronomy magazine. You will get to see the nature of the universe in a dark sky environment.—Bill Nigg

Our guest blog author, Bill Nigg, spends his winters in Florida—telescope observing on every clear night from state and national parks far away from city lights. He recently retired from 13 years of teaching college astronomy and a daytime career servicing physics lab instruments. Bill is an honorary lifetime member of the Kalamazoo (MI) Astronomical Society. He always invites nearby campers to view interesting space objects through his telescope and will explain how it fits into the Nature of the Universe. www.kasonline.org/profiles/nigg.html

Friends of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve now has membership available online—and we need you! Your membership will include our email newsletter, The Kissimmee Prairie Star, invitations to special events such as a members' sparrow drives, and access to our new members' pages, where soon you will be able to interact with other members, share your photos, and stay informed about the Preserve and member events. As we grow, we expect to provide more benefits and member content to you, but the main benefit of membership is being a part of the effort to support and benefit Kissimmee Prairie Preserve and its unique, irreplaceable ecosystem.

We can't do it without you. Join us now. Click on the button below to go directly to our membership form and member pages:

Fall Color in the Florida Prairie, by Tim KozuskoKissimmee Prairie wildflowers give autumn leaves a run for the money.

Kissimmee Prairie in the Fall

The changing seasons in Florida are subtle at first, but once you know what to look for they are easy to notice. As late summer turns to autumn on the Kissimmee Prairie you will not see many leaves change color, for there are few deciduous trees in this part of Florida. There are few trees of any kind; it is a prairie after all! What you will see is the blush of color from the autumn-blooming asters and grasses. Fueled by a nutrient flush from early growing season fire, and quenched by summer rains, the Prairie comes alive in color, adding the yellows of goldenrod and goldentops to the blues and purples of the gayfeather and paintbrush.

Red-banded Hairstreak on Yellowtop

Catesby's Lily with treefrog

Bushy Bluestem

Where fire has triggered flowering, wiregrass and lopsided Indiangrass will “tower” over the palmettos and impart a look reminiscent of wheat fields. As autumn progresses you will see the fluffy seeds of the groundsel bush and the broomsedge grasses mature and take to the air on the breeze as the first cold fronts move through. But there is much more to this display. Many of these plants are annuals that grow through the summer, flower, and die, leaving seeds behind to brush next year’s pastels over the landscape. The plants have captured sunlight and stored it in tissues, pollen, and fruits that either feed migratory songbirds or the insects that the birds eat to replace energy spent flying south.